Posted on 09/26/2007 6:14:53 PM PDT by mdittmar
Electronic Attack Squadron 135 is scheduled to arrive home at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station this weekend after spending six months at sea aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz.
The U.S. Navy jets are set to arrive at noon Saturday, while support and maintenance personnel will come home at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, base officials said.
The “Black Ravens” fly and maintain EA-6B radar-jamming jets, and were used to support ground troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
(Excerpt) Read more at heraldnet.com ...
I was in VAQ-140 and had many friends in VAQ-135. Oak Harbor, Washington was my home for almost 4 years. I went back a couple of years ago to visit a friend in Washington and barely recognized the place.
I was there in ‘94 with VP-46. Can’t believe it’s been that long.
Yeah ... developers have been having a field day up there. A few years ago, the city council -- many of whom are heavy into real estate, apparently -- voted to change all the street names. My best guess at why, is so that folks wouldn't be able to figure out where the new developments would be going.
Jeez, I was there from ‘83 to late ‘86. The whole corner where Wally world is was an empty lot.
It’s crazy on the westside,but they’re still working to fix it;)
Post or FReepmail me if you wish to be enlisted in or discharged from the Navair Pinglist.
This is a medium volume pinglist.
The U.S. Navy jets are set to arrive at noon Saturday, while support and maintenance personnel will come home at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, base officials said.
The joystick actuators will fly off the carrier the day before the ship makes port. That is normal practice on a carrier returning from a deployment.
Where exactly this takes place I don't know but the area that is almost a full days steaming from SD and is within BINGO range of Whidbey Island would, I think, be pretty big.
The EA-6B’s are quite possibly the loudest, slowest aircraft ever built. They probably fly off somewhere off San Francisco, because the F-18s will be going to Lemoore, won’t they? The carriers going into SD have pretty narrow windows. They have to come in at high tide.
Thanks, magslinger.
I saw an EA-6B taking off from Moffett Field late last week. I couldn’t see any squadron markings...I wonder if it was part of this deployment? An EA-6B is pretty rare at Moffett.
I worked with VAQ-141 aboard Theodore Roosevelt, back in ‘89. That was fun. I was an EW with ship’s company.
I recall briefing Jeff Zaun a couple times when we were in the MED. He was an arrogant sucker. I wasn’t too surprised when his bird got shot down over Iraq.
I’m still very skeptical that the Growler can adequately replace the Prowler, mostly because the Prowler had 2 EWO’s dedicated to operating the equipment.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.